


The Havardy Racing Strip

by Hollyshark



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amazon, Desert, Fantasy, Gen, Motorcycle Racing, Racing, Trans Character, mechanic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 05:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7878940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyshark/pseuds/Hollyshark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>(edited on 9/16/2017)</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Havardy Racing Strip

**Author's Note:**

> (edited on 9/16/2017)

The race track was muddy today. A much-needed thunderstorm had passed over Idhi last night, and the strip, situated just outside city limits, had gotten buckets dumped on it. It had yet to dry all the way, as the sun was just peeking over the distant sand dunes, but the strip was already busy: the betting boards were changing every minute, the racers polishing their motorbikes one more time, their mechanics performing last minute checks and tune-ups before the lineups.

There was going to be a race today.

Akantha’s whole body thrummed with energy. Racing days were her favorites. Many were scheduled to race today, but there were only two she cared to watch–Akantha’s friend Euryleia and a new racer on the rise operating under the stupid alias of Tank Harlem.

Euryleia was, like Akantha, an Amazonian tribeswoman. Her story went like this: she had escaped the open desert–where the feuding Amazon tribes settled–missing her right arm. She found the Havardy Motor District shortly after arriving in Idhi, where she fell in love with the revving engines of motorbikes and the acrid scent of gasoline. Here, she spent years teaching herself to drive a bike with her non-dominant arm, and eventually became the racing queen of the Havardy circuit.

Tank, on the other hand, had a slightly less intriguing story. He had emigrated from Taasnal, a continent to the northeast of Shaharia, in the midst of its civil war. He had raced for kicks and giggles there, and now wanted to make racing his career here. The Sun knew why he was intruding on the Havardy circuit, though, since he dominated his own farther south.

Akantha wiped away sweat that was already beading on her upper lip. She watched Tank across the way with golden eyes, speaking smugly to his mechanic. She hadn’t come any closer to him since his arrival at the strip, but she already disliked him.

She turned to Euryleia. “He seems like a sore loser.”

Euryleia just tugged on her braid and tilted her head. “What makes you say that?”

“Look at the way he’s standing. That’s how all our arrogant customers stand when they’re trying to tell me I don’t know how to do my job. He’s likely to get angry if he loses.”

Both Amazons turned their attention to the Taasnal man. He shifted on his feet, sticking out a hip and giving his mechanic a lopsided grin. “Perhaps you’re right,” Euryleia replied after a moment.

Their clear view was interrupted a moment later by a large figure. He was as tall as Akantha, and they had nearly the same broad shoulders and hands. The only difference was that Akantha was a woman, and this was a man. The man yawned as he approached the Amazons. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Eli,” Akantha greeted frostily. “You’re late.”

Akantha had been working for Eli long enough to know that he was almost never on time for anything. Business had been even slower than normal lately, and it was a miracle their garage was still open, as little work as he got done and shunted onto Akantha.

Eli didn’t look even the slightest bit sorry. Instead, he just raked his gaze over Euryleia’s specially rigged motorbike. It had been salvaged from a scrap yard and almost completely refurbished, tailored to her disability. The bike had been Eli’s pet project ever since the Amazon had approached him four years ago. “Everything’s in order?”

Akantha nodded, pulling a bright red curl behind her pointed ear. “I checked everything twice. Should hold up in the mud just fine.”

Euryleia made a face at that. “I wish Tank had rescheduled the race. I don’t remember ever racing in mud on this track before.”

“Then it’ll be a first for him, too,” Eli commented, a smirk on his face. “The bastard’s already shaking in his boots. You’ll be fine.”

All three turned their attention to Tank. He was staring at the track not at all anxiously, taking in the hills, the valley, the muddy rocks, and the open dunes. Akantha quirked a brow. She was sure there was plenty of mud in Taasnal.

A shout came from the starting line. “Racers, to your marks!”

Akantha took hold of the handlebars and directed the bike to the starting line. As she strapped Euryleia’s glove on, Tank walked his bike to a stop beside them. He smirked at them before throwing a leg over his bike and settling on it as if he had a load in his pants. Akantha’s other brow rose to meet the other one.

After a last once over, Akantha said, “showtime, Eury.”

Euryleia grinned in response and pulled her helmet over her head.

Akantha walked back to stand beside Eli, at the edge of a throng of people gathered to watch the race. Euryleia always attracted a decent crowd, but since this was a one-on-one race with a newcomer, it was significantly larger today.

Both racers started their bikes. The sudden revving sound made Akantha’s blood thrum with adrenaline. Watching Euryleia race always gave her a thrill.

After an agonizing wait, the referee dropped the little green cloth, and both Euryleia and Tank shot across the starting line.

The race was the usual–three laps all the way around. Tank pulled ahead for the first lap, but slowed down over the rocks to avoid getting stuck in the mud. Euryleia took the smoothest path through them and overtook Tank. After regaining momentum, the two were neck and neck until the last stretch of the race. Tank spun out in the dunes, the sand here looser than in the south, and Euryleia pulled ahead and crossed the finish line almost a full ten seconds before her challenger.

Akantha swiped sweat from her brows and glanced at the betting board. She almost laughed. The odds for Tank to win were astronomically small.

Tank rolled across the finish line and sat back on his bike. He and Euryleia simultaneously removed their helmets. Eury was smiling at Akantha and Eli, but Tank was glaring at her. He hopped off his bike and stalked away, dragging it with him back to his mechanic’s tent.

When the mechanics were close enough to Euryleia, Akantha said, “told you he was a sore loser” at the same time Eli boomed, “told you you’d be fine!”

Euryleia snorted. “It wasn’t as fun as racing with nine others, but Tank is still a pretty good racer. I was hoping to chat with him a bit.” She frowned at the tire tracks in the sand.  
Akantha waved the notion away. “Don’t worry about him. He dominates his own circuit in Joshua Town like you do here, except you’re not an asshole.” At Eli’s blank look, Akantha rolled her eyes. “Joshua Town is on the southern coast. If you payed attention to our clientele, you’d know that.”

“Let’s just get back to the garage. I’m melting out here,” Euryleia whined.

Well, she wasn’t wrong. The sun had fully emerged and was already starting to bake everything in sight. The crowd had begun to disperse. Those less tolerant of the heat left the second Eury crossed the finish line, but some hung around, hoping to get a handshake with Euryleia.

~

Less than two weeks later, Tank challenged Euryleia to a race again. Akantha wasn’t surprised–she had seen him riding laps by himself in the evenings when the strip was closed, when she went to ride laps by herself–but she rolled her eyes nonetheless at the news.

She had gleaned little useful information out of her clients regarding Tank’s racing history and techniques, but she relayed all of it to her friend anyway.

The race went largely the same, with the only exception being that the two had kept pace with each other all throughout until the last portion, where Euryleia had pulled another win, this time by seven seconds.

Tank stormed off again.

Akantha raised her red eyebrows at him as he disappeared into one of the nearby tents. “I wonder if he’s like this at Joshua Town.”

Euryleia made a face. “I certainly hope not, for everyone’s sake. Doesn’t he know it’s good sportsmanship to shake hands afterwards?”

“Maybe he thought you’d be an easy win because you only have one arm,” Eli said skeptically.

“He clearly misjudged,” Akantha muttered.

~

Three weeks later came another challenge. This time, however, Tank boasted a new motorbike. It was one of the newest models, painted a snotty green color that Akantha thought suited him well, but it performed almost exactly the same as his previous bike. But days before the race was set to take place–

Akantha burst into Euyleia’s adobe and announced without preamble, “Eli was just arrested.”

“ _What_? Why?” Euryleia shouted, nearly choking on her muffin.

“Apparently he was circulating illegal substances.” Akantha flopped into a chair next to her fellow Amazon. “I won’t be able to tune up your bike before the race now that I have _all_ of his work.” She scrubbed at her hair in frustration. “Dammit, Eli! _That’s_ how he’s been keeping the garage open.”

Euryleia heaved an explosive sigh, black hair falling over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about my bike, sister. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Akantha snorted. "Famous last words."

Euryleia’s motorbike fell to pieces in the third lap as she was speeding over the rocks, allowing Tank and his snot green bike to take the win. For the most part, the Amazon was fine, aside from a couple of cracked ribs and sprained limbs, but she wouldn’t be able to race again anytime soon.

Akantha was nearly sick at the news. Her friend could have ended up with worse injuries, and it was because she had let Eury’s bike sit in the garage until the morning of the race.

She made a pilgrimage into the open desert, taking a spare bike with her. She sped past all the scrub and reptiles around her until the bike’s gasoline was spent. When her throat hurt too much to bellow curses anymore, she returned to the Havardy Motor District with a plan in mind.

She walked into the lobby of Eli’s garage and flipped the sign in the window so that it displayed CLOSED. Then she took the boxes full of Euryleia’s bike, set them in an empty bay, pulled the toolbox close, and set to work.

~

“I want to challenge you to a race,” Akantha said. She crossed her arms and did her best to look intimidating, which wasn’t very hard considering her large size and deep voice.

But Tank looked up at her skeptically before eyeing the rest of her. “Who are you?”

“My name is Akantha. I’m Euryleia’s mechanic. I want to challenge you to a race on her behalf.” She said the last part slowly, as if she took Tank for an idiot.

She did.

Tank squinted up at her as if he thought she was an idiot. “No.”

He did.

Before he could slam the door in her face, Akantha said abruptly, “I know what you did to her bike.”

Tank only sneered up at the Amazon. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

Akantha sighed. “You do realize how much people love Eury around here, right? Certainly you’ve seen some of the looks you get, heard some of the rumors. You intruded on the Havardy circuit and almost got our best racer killed. We don’t want you here.”

At Tank’s prolonged blank stare, Akantha continued. “If I let it slip that you nearly killed Eury, you will never race on this continent again. One race. Same as the others, three laps. If I win, you have to leave our circuit alone permanently. If you win, you can come and go as you please. Do we have a deal?”

Tank leaned against the door, a smirk finally gracing his features. Akantha wanted to punch it off his face. “When would this monumental race take place?”

“Three weeks from today, at sunrise.”

Tank squinted as if contemplating something, then straightened and said “okay” before turning around and slamming the door in Akantha’s face.

Akantha had a bike, Euryleia’s blessing, and a challenge. Now she just needed the time to prepare.

The racing strip was only deserted in the hot afternoons now, since Tank had taken to privately riding laps in the evenings when Akantha usually went. The scalding sun bore down on Akantha’s body, shimmering heat and kicked up sand making it difficult to see the track. She was certain at some point that she’d almost gotten sun stroke.

Overworked, possibly sun poisoned, and exhausted, Akantha made her way to the track three weeks later. She briefly debated kneeling in the sand to greet the rising sun in case she fell out right there, but did it anyway. Never in her twenty-three years had she missed this ritual. She sent a silent prayer to the sun, hoping it would smile upon her and grant her the win.

She spotted Euryleia in the mass of people already gathered and made her way toward her.

Eury’s face brightened when she saw her friend and said as she approached, “the crowd’s already as big as a full race, and people are still coming in. They’re rooting for you, you know.”

“I know,” Akantha sighed. She had hoped the race would be a small affair, but she suspected Tank had probably blabbed about it. “I didn’t want all these eyes on me.”  
Euryleia leaned on her crutch and made a face. “I wish Eli was here.”

"Eli!" Akantha scoffed. “Please. He probably wouldn’t show up until after the race anyways.”

“Racers, to your marks!” shouted the referee.

“Just—keep the wheels on this time, yeah?” Eury gave her a reassuring smile.

Akantha grimaced in response and pushed her way back through the throng. She walked the bike to the starting line, where Tank was already waiting.

He dragged his eyes over the motorbike and whistled. “Damn. Is that the same one?”

“Yes,” Akantha snapped. Her heart was already starting to pound and hands and legs to shake.

Tank raised his eyebrows and nodded. “I’m impressed. Maybe when I win I’ll have you fix mine instead of that crazy bastard over there.” He jerked his thumb towards his own mechanic, standing in the shade of the tent.

Akantha rolled her eyes as she tugged on her gloves and pulled on her helmet. She zipped up the light jacket she wore and hoped the Sun wouldn’t see her covering the heliography scrawled on her biceps as heresy.

They both leaned over their bikes as the referee held up the little flag.

At the drop, they jolted forward. Euryleia had been right–Tank was good. He pulled ahead right at the start and continued to inch forward the farther they rode. Akantha didn’t dare try any tricks yet, though. There was still time to catch up.

She passed him at the dunes; they were still his weak spot. But Tank overtook Akantha again at the start of the second lap. Akantha pushed the bike a little harder and managed to keep pace with him all throughout the second lap, eventually passing Tank a good ways during the third lap. Then Akantha hit a particularly large rock and stalled Eury’s bike.

“No!” Akantha hissed. “No, no, no, no, _no_! Sun help me!”

She accelerated, twisted the handlebars, did everything she could to jumpstart the bike. She glanced over her shoulder as Tank whooped past her. She could hear his irritating laughter as he shot ahead.

Akantha was dizzy with anger and exhaustion. She could not let Tank win. She _would_ not let Tank win.

 _Please_ , she begged the Sun. _Please give this to me._

Finally the motorbike sputtered back to life, and she burst forward, a relieved sob rushing out of her. She could win this. She could still catch up at the dunes.

The Amazon pushed the borrowed bike as hard as it would go. It shuddered under the strain, but Akantha held on. Tank’s form was growing in her sights.

Just as expected, he skidded on the first of the dunes, and Akantha blew past him easily. She let out a whoop to match Tank’s own as she crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of him.

Akantha had already pulled off her helmet and gloves when Tank rolled to a stop next to her. He slid off his bike and approached her, eyes squinted, although Akantha couldn’t tell if it was from anger or the strengthening sunlight.

“That was a good race,” she said. She extended her sweaty hand and was surprised when Tank took it firmly in his own.

“It was.” He sighed, looking off toward the already dispersing crowd and Euryleia, who was hobbling towards them quite happily, and sighed again. “I’ll honor the agreement and leave the Havardy Motor District and racing strip within the week. You’ll never hear from me again.”

Akantha was a little taken aback at the sullen tone. “Good.” When Tank started to turn, she stopped him. “Hey. Why’d you come up north, anyway?”

Tank smirked, but it lacked its usual snark. “Change of pace. Wasn’t worth it.”

Euryleia launched herself awkwardly at Akantha as Tank turned away to walk his bike off the track. Eury babbled at Akantha, recounting her favorite moments of the race, but Akantha wasn’t listening. Did Tank mean he wanted to change his public identity? Well, she supposed it didn’t matter anymore.

Euryleia detached herself from her friend, who put a hand on her back to steady her. She frowned up at Akantha and jostled her a little. “So, what now?”

Akantha shrugged. The garage would shut down if there wasn’t any more staff, but she couldn’t bail out Eli without the income it generated. She looked at down at Eury’s expectant face. “Well, I guess I’m running the garage now.”


End file.
